Why A Healthy Gut Reduces MS Symptoms

22nd October 2012

I give my condition a great deal of thought and I am often struck with moments of epiphany. An “Aha!” moment (as Oprah would call it) happens when I begin to realise a new key to improving my condition and prognosis. I’m slowly figuring out how this disease works, which helps me understand how to stop it in its tracks.

There is definitely a chain of events that happens, which leads to an attack – inflammation is triggered, followed by those annoying symptoms! If you can understand the triggers, it will help prevent the symptoms. The following steps illustrates a potential explanation of why people with MS experience symptoms (also called exacerbations):

Foods the body is sensitive to are consumed

Undigested food particles leak through the wall of the gut and are taken into the bloodstream

The immune system is activated to attack these ‘foreign’ particles

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is made more permeable because of the consumption of saturated fat and other factors

The immune system is now in “hyper alert” and the activated immune cells cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the nervous system

Immune cells are now able to randomly attack the myelin sheath which they are mistaking for the food particles

The myelin sheath eventually becomes damaged, leading to signal failure for nerve messages which results in a variety of symptoms

I realise that this is a highly simplified explanation, however, it’s a good place to start learning the sequence of events (and triggers) that lead up to an episode.

It All Starts In The Gut

The health of the gut, is such an important predictor of the health of the individual. The gut is the lining of the stomach and the intestines. As you may have read on my MS Diet page, a prolonged unhealthy lifestyle coupled with the use antibiotics and other drugs can make the stomach wall more permeable. This allows undigested food particles to slither their way through the gut and into the bloodstream.

Our immune system recognises some of them as invaders and mobilises to attack. Gluten, dairy, refined sugar, legumes, heated and saturated fats and caffeine are the main culprits the body reacts against. Simply put, healthy gut = healthy person and unhealthy gut = person with bloating, wind and increased MS symptoms.

The activated immune system now gets a bit confused as to what to attack and starts attacking the myelin sheath. Here’s a quick video [1:58] showing you what it looks like visually when your immune cells cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and attack your nervous system:

How Do You Improve The Health Of Your Gut?

So, armed with a bit more understanding, we can now start to direct effort to prevent triggers that invoke this sequence of events, and the best way to do that, is to make your gut happy with a healthy MS diet:

Cut out sugar and refined foods for a start. These are lethal for your stomach lining. Have a look at the foods to avoid list on the MS diet page and start eliminating them from your MS diet.

At the same time, start adding more raw and fresh food to your MS diet. Have a look at the ‘foods to enjoy’ list on the MS diet page and start adding them to your MS diet. British nutritionist and immunologist, Jennifer Meek found that starting your cooked meals with raw vegetables prevented destruction of white blood cells which is important in maintaining a healthy immune system. Raw food is also more easily digested than cooked food and will give your stomach lining a chance to heal.

Start taking a good probiotic to make sure that there is more good than bad bacteria in your gut.

Don’t take antibiotics unless you feel you really need them. It does take a while for the delicate balance of good bacteria to return.

The Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)

First of all, what is the blood-brain barrier (BBB)? Essentially it is a blockade of cells (membrane) separating the circulating blood from the central nervous system. It acts as a filter, preventing many substances from entering the central nervous system. It also allows important chemicals into the CNS such as oxygen, glucose and essential hormones. A healthy blood-brain barrier should not allow rogue immune cells to pass through it. However, a breach can occur in many different ways.

Saturated Fat

Dr. Swank (a famous MS diet researcher in the 1940’s, who you may well know about already) was convinced that saturated fat plays a role in the progression of MS. His research revealed that it may contribute to the erosion of the blood-brain barrier because people with MS do not process saturated fat efficiently. He goes on to say that embolisms (a clogging cell mass) of these fats form in the bloodstream and put pressure on the microcirculatory system, eventually leading to a breach in the blood-brain barrier.

He felt that cutting out saturated fat from your MS diet and replacing it with unsaturated and mono saturated oils can slow down or even halt the progression of MS. For someone on the early stages of MS, just this one dietary change has actually been shown to halt and reverse MS. I don’t want this to sound like the “cure” you have been waiting for, but it is an important point to be aware of – MS is a very complex condition, and saturated fats are just one of the factors to consider in your MS diet.

Sugar

Sugar is also a culprit in the corrosion of the blood-brain barrier and must be excluded altogether or kept to a bare minimum. You need to make sure that your blood sugar level remains consistent and does not spike. When the brain is flooded by too much glucose, this can be damaging. As soon as I have eaten something sugary, I start to feel a little spaced out like my brain is being covered with a fog. It definitely reduces my clarity of thought. When I think about eating sugar now, I try and picture the damage it will do. This helps me avoid it! Refined sugar should be removed from your MS diet as far as possible.

Stress

Stress is another factor that has been shown to play a role in increasing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Stress hormones signal our bodies to fight or take flight in a dangerous situation so they are good in the short term. However, prolonged exposure to stress hormones weakens the body and keeps hormones hanging around that shouldn’t really be there. These hormones set into action a chain of events that make the blood-brain barrier more permeable. To help you combat stress, I’ve specially written a post on this [How To Manage Your Stress, To Manage Your MS] which will provide some practical tips. So, try and minimise the stress in your life!

Tysabri – The Artificial Way To Strengthen The Blood-brain Barrier (BBB)

It is interesting to note that the disease modifying drug Tysabri works to make the blood-brain barrier impermeable to immune cells. However, there are many side effects to this medication including liver damage, nausea and depression. In fact, the full list of side effects is pretty long. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather find another way to look after my blood-brain barrier and keep it strong, healthy and impermeable.

Tips To Strengthen Your Blood-brain Barrier BBB

Lets break it down. These are some of the things you can start doing right now to increase the health of your BBB:

Cut out all saturated fat from your MS diet: This includes red meat and pork, all cooked oil, dairy products and margarine products.

Start taking an omega 3 oil supplements: This will serve to strengthen the BBB. Organic flax seed oil is the best, it’s relatively inexpensive and doesn’t taste too bad once you get used to it.

Eat loads of fresh fruit and vegetables as part of your MS diet: Three chemicals: anthocyanosides, proanthnocyanidins and oligomers have been found to make the BBB more impermeable. They are present in most brightly coloured fruits and vegetables and tea. They bind with the barrier, strengthen it and are also powerful antioxidants.

Live a stress-free life as far as possible, or manage your stress effectively: Stress triggers hormones that can work against your MS diet.

Exercise regularly: Keeping active and fit helps your blood to keep nutrients moving efficiently around the body and relieves pressure on the microcirculatory system. This also keeps the blood from pooling in the venules and causing breaches in the microcirculatory system (very important!).

Summing It All Up

Interestingly, research has shown that leaky gut syndrome and permeable BBB are linked and that if you have one, you will most probably have the other. Both are these are influenced why what you eat, so this is why a healthy MS diet is critical for all MS’ers.

It’s always more motivating to know why you are doing what you are doing, and exactly how it is helping your body. Really try and picture your stomach lining becoming more healthy as you feed your body those beautifully healthy foods. Imagine your blood-brain-barrier becoming stronger and less permeable with every carrot that you juice or each exercise session that you complete. You can change the course of your disease. In the end, it all really comes down to planning and habit forming. Decide now what you are going to change in your MS diet this week, and how you are going to do it!

I really hope this increases your understanding on how important the right food is for your condition. Start with a healthy MS diet, be committed to stick to it, and you will see results.

45 comments

Hello, I have had MS for 15 yrs and just the past 2 yrs have been on high dosages of gabapentin and tegretal to help with the severe pain of trigeminal neurolgia. I have gained approx. 40 lbs and my enjoyment of swimming frequently has changed due to the fear of an neurolgia attack in the water (which has happenend) Can you please help me with a diet? I live with my daughter and she and family are vegetarians and we do eat lots of legumes. I notice that legumes are one food to avoid in your article.
Thank you so much for your wonderful articles and keep up the good work. I am 67yrs old and need all the help that I can get and your emails are doing just that! thank you kindly!

Hi Linda, thanks for getting in touch! It sounds like you are in a lot of pain at the moment. You really do need to cut dairy out of your diet completely as this could be causing your symptoms to worsen. Gluten and sugar also need to go. Very essential! By eating a lot of green vegetables and leaves, you will be getting a good amount of calcium. I would still recommend taking the calcium supplement, perhaps without the magnesium. You will still be getting magnesium in your diet with the nuts and veggies that you eat. If you need some ideas for meals, I highly recommend that you sign up for the weekly meal plans. These will give you some great ideas on what to eat. As for legumes, you may be fine with them but I recommend cutting them out for 6 weeks, seeing how you feel and then reintroducing them. if you feel fine then you know you can continue to eat them.

Hi Kim, I just sent the message regarding my high dosages of gabapentin and tegretal to help with neurolgia. I forgot to add that I have osteoporosis and consume high amount of dairy and low amount of calcium tablets due to the magnesium content which counteracts the gabapentin. The diets you suggest eliminating dairy to help with MS, what do I do? Thank you!

Thanks for the article on healthy gut n little video, I found this very interesting. I find that by eliminating a lot of foods that that u mentioned aggravate n trigger MS symptoms does help but every now n then I fall from grace – reading your articles n comments seems to help me get back on track again.

Hi Kim i just found out about your site and have to say it has me thinking but to be honest i felt depressed when i started thinking how hard it is to cut out all those foods especially as i have come to realise i eat for comfort! I have been off meds since june this year and have been eating better as i need to lose weight but i give myself a cheat day every week to keep me sane. Do you have any cheat days at all? Will i never eat any of these foods again?

Hi Sara, I know how daunting it can look, but you shouldn’t expect to instantly switch to a new diet. I would suggest you migrate to a new way of eating by cutting out one bad item and adding one good item each week. Over time, this will stick. Obviously, the faster you switch to the new diet, the quicker you will see the benefits! No, I dont have cheat days, but I do treat myself now and then with something that tastes good and is healthy. If I am really craving something naughty, I might have one chocolate rice cake (top side of the rice cake has a thin layer of chocolate). You must realise that once you are eating the right way, it becomes normal for you and feeling great is worth more than the pleasure of eating bad food. You should do what you need to help yourself move forward each week – if that means you need a cheat day initially, then do it. But ultimately, you should eventually try avoid cheat days. Keep us updated with your progress! I know you can do it!

Hi Kim
thanks for the inspiring and very helpful website. One issue I am confused on is whether you allow non cow products in your diet, ie goats cheese? Or is it disallowed because of the saturated fact content; despite it not being dairy?
Many thanks
Monika

Thanks for your comment! I don’t eat goats or sheeps milk products because they still have a protein in them that is very similar in structure to dairy. They would probably cause a similar reaction. Yes, they also have a high content of saturated fat in them which would not be good for the MS diet.

Wow. I have had a couple of days of epiphany-like mments, leading me to find your site which jives with most everything I have found. I am 4.5 yrs dxdd with RRMS and reluctantly taking Copaxone since the beginning. I think my leaky gut began when I had Shigella in 1991. In fact, i am pursuing pulling my old medical records to see what the antibiotic was that I was prescribed. i think it damaged me, along with a not-so-healthy lifestyle. i am obsessed with figuring this out and look forward to learning more here. Already printed the shopping list. i have a diet that’s not too far off since October, so I am glad to see that!

In terms of sugar, can you explain more about the different sugars and which types should be avoided?

I have followed a very similar diet to yours since June last year and its transformed my life and symptoms. I love developing my understanding about things and the sugar aspect is my current study area. I juice every day, mixing veg and fruit. It’s brilliant but it got me thinking about the amount of sugar the juice contains and is that a bad thing??

Sucrose should definitely be avoided. This is the table sugar that is in almost every product out there! Same goes for Glucose. Fructose is better because it is far more low GI but it should not be consumed in vast quantities.

Sugar from fruit and veg is fine. This is completely natural and your body loves it. A well known nutritionist once wrote that fruit is the most perfect food in the world. Keeps blood sugar levels balanced and blood ph more neutral. They are also packed with nutrients that your body desperately needs.

I think you are definitely on the right track! Keep juicing and enjoying all those natural fruit sugars.

Hi Kim, wondering if you can help – I bought some super probiotics (20 billion live friendly bacteria) to take in case of leaky gut but then I read that probiotics should be avoided with MS as they may send the immune system into attack. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you, Anna

There seems to be some deep rooted controversy over probiotics and MS. They are pretty much recommended by most Drs and reputable nutritionists. My nutritionist said I should begin taking them to help the balance of bacteria in my stomach. I definitely feel that my MS could be linked to candida and leaky gut and I feel that probiotics have helped this.

On the other hand there are those who say probiotics may send the immune system into attack mode. Since 70% of the immune system is situated in the stomach, it is likely this may happen if the immune system doesn’t like what is coming in. It seems that this reaction may be limited to a certain strain of probiotics and is not generalised to all. I need to do some further research to find out which strains are safe and which are not. Let me know if you come across anything!

Hi Kim,
Great post in simple terms that are easy to understand
and picture. I’ve had MS for 14 yrs now and wish
I was so well informed when I was diagnosed. I’ve taken
diet more seriously over the last 5 yrs since discovering
George Jelinek here in Australia. I do know Terry Wahls
work too. I agree with all your info but am more
familiar with George’s work so choose to follow
his diet. Very similar of course – no dairy, low sat fat. I know
you mention tysabri is a nasty chemical. Yes it is but
I chose to do whatever it takes and if drugs help too then why not?
For me tysabri is working great and I’m managed well by the medical
professionals.
Thanks again. My weakness is dark vegan chocolate. I’ll
try harder to limit this now that I can visualise it’s impact on my BBB!

Hi Gowri! Thanks for your great feedback. Wonderful that you have discovered Dr, Jelinek. I am a big fan of his work and attended the launch of his charity in the UK a few weeks ago. If Tysabri is working for you then fabulous. As you say, you just need to keep doing what is working for you! Ooh, dark chocolate! A big sacrifice for me too because I love it! With the saturated fat, sugar and caffeine it’s not great for us unfortunately!

Just had a good friend diagnosed with MS!! and looking for info to help her, so glad to find this resource. Have you come across the book ‘Clean Gut’ by Dr. Alejandro Junger, MD? Also has a website with tons of info and recipes. His 21 day Clean Gut program for healing the gut sounds very promising – using diet and supplements. Any comments on this?

Hi there! Your friend is so blessed to have someone like you in her life. She needs to get onto the diet as quickly as possible to help prevent further damage to her nervous system. I haven’t heard about the book ‘Clean Gut’ by Dr. Alejandro Junger. I’m going to do some research. Sounds very interesting!

I have taken Copaxone and Rebif and had terrible reactions to both! I tried the MS recovery diet and it does help. I mainly have cut out wheat products and I feel better. I do use lactose free cheese and drink a protein shake every morning. I do juice some and it makes me feel great! I have had MS 26 + years. Still walking and do water aerobics daily at a retirement home. Love it!!

Hi Marsha! Wow, you are an MS diet legend. This lifestyle has really worked for you. Keep up the hard work you are doing because it is really paying off. I agree about the meds, not worth it if they are making you feel worse!

I am trying to cut out all dairy…it’s really hard! I have cut out caffeine and sugar(except a few cheats) I love truvia (stevia) you just have to get use to it. It’s even yummy on strawberries!! Dr. Oz had a show a long while back on black bean brownies! They are soooo good! I think beans are out also on the diet but I cheat occasionally 3 -4 times a year isn’t too bad! lol

such great info. just found out about my ms but i have known about the gut wall for many years from research for my autistic son. i totally agree. interesting that much of the info is the same, and also comes up when researching add/adhd and really all the immune system issues. i wonder how many diseases we will trace back to this leaky gut problem in a few decades? plus, it must be some crazy sign that you posted this blog on my last birthday. :). thanks for doing all the hard work for the rest of us!!

I was diagnosed last year (2012). Since the beginning of this year, I have locked down my fat consumption, swank style.

I shoot for 35-50g total fat a day with as little as possible saturated fat. I completely cut out dairy, beef, pork, lamb, and dark poultry meat. I still eat skinless chicken breast and all seafood (although I am very careful with fatty fish like salmon), although I eat vegan for 5 days on average per week. We use very little oil for cooking. In fact, we have been amazed at how little you actually need compared to the amount in recipes.

I don’t worry about Gluten at all. I seem fine with it and really enjoy lots of whole grains. I haven’t worried about sugar – this year. We’ve cooked some very low fat and delicious baked goods. I also don’t worry about salt, but I’m not a huge salt eater. Next year’s resolution is going to be to watch the sugar. I’m sure my intake of both is much lower anyway considering the total change in my eating habits.

I’ve lost 60 pounds since the beginning of this year (about 10.5 months, from 238 to 178 as of today). Most of it was in the first 2 months, then it settled down to a slow and steady weight loss. Its mostly tapered off now and my weight is pretty stable.

It was hard as heck, but I feel a lot better. Even if its doing absolutely nothing for my MS, it feels good to take control of my health in the areas I can control.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. That will be my next challenge!

Great to hear from you! Men are very welcome on the site! Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like you have done a complete overhaul of our diet which is amazing. I’m pretty sure it is going to do the world of good for your MS. Food has the power to heal! Well done for all the weight loss. That must have you feeling like a new man. You can survive the festive season. Just have your own yummy alternatives to what everyone else is eating and keep in mind that you don’t want to undo all your hard work! Chat to you soon. Kim

I have just come back from a weeks holiday in lanzarote topping up my vitamin d before the snow falls here in Scotland!
I am quite strict with my diet and always read the labels of food for any hidden bad ingredient, and things have been good regarding my symptom control (I only tend to have a bad couple of hours now which is brought on by tiredness and stress) but during my hols I work up in the early hours unable to move my arms with terrible pins and needles in my arms into my fingers.
I also had spasms in my left leg. I was terrified I was relapsing abroad and I was so frustrated as I had (I thought) been really careful whilst away.

However the next day I tried to haul myself about when my son noticed a corn snack I had purchased contained wheat!!!
I was relieved and after 24hrs of only eating fresh fruit and veg and fish and only drinking water my symptoms subsided and by the next day completely gone.

I find it amazing the way my body has become so fine tuned to these triggers..
I just thought I would share this with you all as slip ups are easy but this diet is such a positive step in fighting this horrible disease.

Hi Janine! Great to hear from you. I find it fascinating that your body reacted so quickly and badly to the wheat in your snack. Yes, your body is obviously so clean that just a little bit of wheat can cause a reaction. At least now you know that you can never touch wheat and gluten with a barge pole! Wonderful that you were able to clean it out of your system so quickly and then went back to normal. Yes, food has the power to heal! Glad that you had such a nice time soaking up the sun on holiday though. Helps one get through the winter. Keep up the great work you are doing! Kim

Thanks for all the useful info, have been slowly trying to eliminate some of these offending foods over the last 6 months, I am trying to eliminate wheat at moment n gluten n have cut down on saturated fats as in oils and caffeine. Reading other comments helps n makes me feel that I am not alone in dealing n coping with this, Many thanks Mirella

Hi Mirella! Yes, you certainly are not alone in this struggle. There are so many women around the world who have MS and are effectively managing it. It sounds like you are on the right track with your eating and supplements. Also, try and stay away from refined sugar. Keep persevering and learning what makes you feel good!

Hi MS friends! I suffer from depression and it has taken over my life. I’m dealing with it and have been for years. This is the main symptom I have with MS. I follow a healthy diet but I really need to exercise….. I am often just too down and unmotivated. Does anyone else suffer mainly from depression and barely any physical symptoms? I would love to connect and get some support ( give some too!) Thanks! …Kim your site is wonderful!

Hi Susan. Thanks for getting in touch and sharing your story. Depression is a very common symptom of MS but it can be easily sorted out with the right diet and lifestyle. You NEED to get rid of all refined sugar and gluten and start eating loads of fresh food. You should also make time for regular exercise. Just making these changes will be huge for you, I’m sure. You also need to start taking flaxseed oil and vitamin D everyday. Keep us posted on your progress!

Thank you Kim for your response! I have not incorporated flax seed oil into my diet but I definitely will. I have been off of gluten and dairy for a few months now. I am wondering if others had bouts of depression before their MS diagnosis? The only physical symptom I have is tremors which led to the MRI resulting in the diagnosis. The area of my brain that is affected is emotional regulation areas. I would like to have contact with others who are experiencing similar symptoms and to see if they are doing anything different from me and having success at easing their symptoms. Thanks so much. 🙂

Hi Kim, I found out I had M.S. in 2008. Since then my ability to walk has been slowly declining. I did started modifying my diet about a year ago. I cut out dairy, eggs, artifical sweetners, caffine, processed foods, margarine and vegetable oil. I mostly eat fish and chicken, not the breast, mostly legs and thighs, do you think that eating the legs and thighs makes a big difference instead of the breast, where chicken is concerned. I also eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and I make smoothies with them. I cannot afford to buy organic, so I buy regular. Since I have changed my diet, I noticed most of my other symptoms have gone away. The biggest problem I have now is walking. Does anyone know of anybody who actually had symptons not only stop or slow down, but actually reverse due to diet. I was following the M.S. recovery Diet by Ann Sawyer and Judith Bachrach, but it is very strict and I got discouraged after a few months, because I did not see any changes in my walking. Any words of encouragement to keep me inspired would be welcome. I enjoy your site, it’s nice to read about others with M.S. and see how they are handling things. Keep up the good work and thank you.

You have done exceptionally well to make all those changes. Brilliant that you have seen quite a few symptoms disappear. Walking is a symptom that takes a while to really improve. But, I have definitely come across women who have seen a drastic improvement in their mobility in response to diet. Dr Wahls is a great example!

So, keep persevering. It might take a year to see improvements but they will come!

Hi, Kim
I am verry glad to read you article !
I started to use linseel oil but I dont know which is the allowed quantity per day? I usally take in the morning 2 tablespoons befor eating.Do you know if is ok?
Also in the morning I take mother bee milk whith bee pollen and a tablespoon of honey.What do you think about it ?
I saw that you have a problem with candida, too.I am don t know what to do for get of ..My doct give me drug antibiotic but even after this tratament I stiil have candida.It was a strong antibiotic but nothing..and my doct say to take again antibiotic.Plesse tell me how you managed your candida because I don t what to take the pills again .If I take probiotics is enough for my candida ? Can you tel me, pleasse what kind of probiotics do you take?
Thank you!

Hi Carmen, 2 tablespoons of linseed oil a day is perfect. You could have one on the morning and one in the evening. Bee pollen is great. For candida, I use aloe juice and stay away from the very sweet fruits like mango, papino and banana. Stick to berries. A good probiotic is also essential. I use Terra Nova probiotic with prebiotics which is great. Hope that helps!

Thank you for your advice! It is very important for me to have someone who I can speek for finding a solution.Unfortunatlly in my country sm it is treated only with strong drugs like cortizon and imunomodulatory pills.I try so hard to find another way because I want to give up pills for having a baby even tough I risk that my baby can inherit the sm.I know that it is some way genetic ..Also I konw that many women with sm who have healty children.Do you know more about this risk? Thanks ! Have a great day!

Hi Carmen, I do know that MS has a genetic component but not a particularly strong one. I think it’s just safe to keep your children eating as healthily as possible. I try and keep my kids gluten-free and restrict refined sugar as much as possible. It is so possible to fight MS with Food, especially if you want to have a baby. I would recommend starting the diet and then when you’re ready, go off the meds and start trying for a baby. Strength to you! Kim

Yes I have started sm diet from about 3 mounth .I still
have small exception but verry rarely.The diet is the only solution for me for having a babe.Also I ordered the supliments.Can you tell me please if I can take them when I will start to having a babe.Which of this suplements is alowed before and during the pregnancy?thank you so much!